Means for increasing the efficiency of boilers



Nov. 23, 1937. A. MAYER MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig] '1' A TTORNE Y.

A. MAYER Nov. 23, 1937.

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 96 INVE OR.

ATTORNEY.

NOV. 23, 1937. v A MAYER 2,099,746

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 W IN TO XTTORNEY.

A. MAYER MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 W Wm INVEM OR.

Nov. 23, 1937. MAYER 2,099,746

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q/% 777 QZZ' A TTORNE Y.

A. MAYER Nov. 23, 1937.

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 8 M Q g r% ll A. MAYER New .23, 1937.

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 r in f A TTORNE Y.

Nov. 23, 1937. A, MA E 2,099,746

MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS Filed Sept. 6, lf35 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF BOILERS 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in boilers and more especially to improvements in commercial type boilers commonly used for heating Water and producing steam for steam heating 5 purposes and for running steam engines.

An object of my invention is to provide improvements in boilers which will more effectively complete the process of combustion of the fuels in the fire box and to more completely and uni- 10 formly spread and distribute the hot products of combustion. among the water tubes of the boiler as the hot products of combustion move out toward their exit.

A particular object of my invention is to effec- 15 tively provide means for projecting fresh air into the fire box of a boiler from a position that will throw the fresh supply of oxygen into the heart of the blaze of the burning fuels and to provide adjustable dampers in one of the passages for 2 the products of combustion by which the space between adjacent water tubes may be opened or closed for regulating the distribution of the hot gases among the various water tubes of the boiler so as to get a more uniform heat transfer to the water tubes.

I attain the objects of my invention by the novel combination of improvements in boilers described in this specification, recited in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in 30 which like reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the figures: Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken from front to back through a commercial type boiler on which 5 my improvements are adapted to operate. This figure shows the relative path of movement of the hot products of combustion in a boiler not using my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of a commercial type boiler disclosing the boiler improvements of my invention in cut-aways which show the relative operative position of the improvements.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a commercial type boiler similar to Fig. 1; but showing therein the difference in the movement of the hot gases from the fire box to their exit compared with their movement as shown in Fig. 1 without my improvements on the boiler. r0 Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of a conven tional boiler and fire box of a commercial type and illustrating the tendency for the hot gases to move in toward the center from the side Walls of the boiler as they move away from the fire 55 box thus tending to leave some of the side water tubes with a minimum of heat transfer thereto from the hot gases.

Fig. 5 is a. view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the more effective distribution of the hot gases among the water tubes after my invention is in 5 use.

Fig. 6 is a detail of a. portion of a fire arch of a boiler fire box, disclosing the relative position of the fresh air supply and distributing tubes as they are adapted to fit into the fire box wall.

Fig. '7 is a perspective of a cut away disclosing a set of adjustable damper members adapted to regulate and distribute the movement of the hot gases among the water tubes as the gases move between the water tubes on their way to the exit therefor.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a channel type adjustable damperas shown in use in Figure '7.

Fig. 9 is a detail disclosing a group of adjustable damper channel members and showing how they are adapted to fit over the space between adjacent water tubes and be adjusted to open or close that space.

Fig. 10 is a detail of a plurality of adjustable damper members operating by several levers so .as to more effectively regulate the distribution of the hot gases among the water tubes of the boiler.

Figure 11 illustrates the effect of closing the space between adjacent water tubes with my adjustable damper members.

Figure 12 illustrates the effect of opening the space between adjacent water tubes.

Figure 13 is a detail illustrating the main fresh air supply drum and the several fresh air distributing pipes of my invention.

Figure 14 is a perspective of the fresh air supply drum and distributing pipes illustrated in Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a diagrammatic illustration of the 40 fresh air supply system fora boiler and including the air supply portion of my invention.

Figure 16 is a detail of one of the fresh air distributing pipes adapted to extend into the fire box through the wall thereof.

Figure 17 is a perspective of one of the dampers used in connection with the fresh air distributing pipes shown in Figure 13, for the control of the. supply of fresh air entering the fire box through the distributing tubes.

Referring in detail to the novel features of my improvements in boilers and the preferred manner of using the same I provide improvements in commercial type boilers adapted to increase the lp rcentage of heat transfer from the hot gases from the combustion chamber to the water tubes in the boiler by providing therefor, a combination of novel features adapted to more effectively complete the process of combustion of the fuels in the combustion chamber and to more effectively spread out the moving hot gases to bring them in contact with more boiler tube surfaces as the gases move on their zig zag circuit among the water tubes on the way out to the hot gas outlet.

In order to suitably explain the merits of my invention I have illustrated in vertical section the main features of a well known commercial type heating plant boiler; and while I have illustrated to some extent structural details of such a boiler I have done so in order to explain more fully the essential working features of my invention in its adaptation to commercial type boilers and not with any purpose of claiming as my' own any structure that is not mine.

In order therefore to illustrate the merits of vmy invention as a method and means of increasing the efiiciency of boilers I have illustrated in Figure 1 a section of boiler as when in use without the benefits of my invention; thus to show the tendency for the hot gases to move in a moreor less concentrated mass through portions of the heating chamber without thoroughly distributing the hot products of combustion so as to bring them in contact with all of the boiler tubes as they move through the heat chamber.

In this Figure 1 I have illustrated the tendency for the freshly ignited combustible gases to move upward closely following the fire arch supported over the fuels in the fire box where they are first ignited.

I have shown in Figure 3 a similar view of the same boiler on which I have illustrated features of my invention disclosing the effects on the movement of the hot gases and effects of aiding and completing the process of combustion within the fire chamber and securing a more complete distribution of the hot gases over the boiler tubes.

To those who are skilled engineers it will be understood that where the hot gases are not caused to spread out thoroughly in their movement through the gas chamber from bailie plate to baffle plate there will be a tendency for such gases to naturally flow toward the central portion of the heat chamber and move through that portion of the heat chamber that is best protected from any contact with cooler surfaces.

I have therefore shown in Figure 3, an indication of some of the benefits of my invention to a commercial type boiler in connection with which I provide a fresh air conducting pipe I with which connection is established with combustion chamber 2' through a series of aligned air projecting tubes 3 which communicate with fire chamber 2 at the top of arch 4.

Air conducting pipe I communicates with a source of forced air pressure 5 through a communicating channel 6 so as to receive its supply of air to project through pipes 3 into fire chamber 2.

By projecting the supply of fresh air into the center of the blaze after the fuel is ignited I provides. more effective completion of the process of combustion in addition to the fact that as will be observed in Figure 3 the manner of projecting the fresh air into the blaze from the top of arch 4 has a tendency to force the volume of freshly ignited gases forward toward the front end of the combustion chamber where a better distribution of the gases is made right on the start of their movement. Thus the gases are spread out to come in contact with a greater number of boiler tubes 1 and cover a greater part of the surface of each tube than could possibly be the case where the hot gases were formerly permitted as shown in Figure 1 to move up along the fire arch 4 and follow closely up along the interior of the front wall 8.

The hot gases emanating from the fire chamber will have a tendency to stay away from the cooler surfaces and thus tend to move inward away from the side walls of the heating chamber when no provision is made for avoiding that situation.

However in my air projecting arrangement ases are started out from the fire box well scattered but through the cooperative mechanism of my invention I have succeeded in further spreading the hot products of combustion by providing a series of fixed or adjustable damper plates adapted to cover the space between the most widely separated boiler tubes between the rear boiler wall and the rear baffle plate of the boiler so that the outgoing gases may be somewhat retarded and more completely distributed to come in contact with a greater number of the boiler tubes.

In this damper feature of my invention I provide a series of damper plates 9 supported by spaced parallel plates l and II resting across boiler tube 1. I

It is conceivable that each of damper plates 9 may be placed in fixed position over the wider spaces between boiler tubes 1 along the top row thereof; but I prefer to pivotally support these damper plates 9 in parallel spaced relation between plates l0 and II lying across tubes 1.

These pivotally mounted damper plates have an integral arm l2 each and are connected together by these arms by a connecting rod I3 so that all the damper plates may move simultaneously.

These adjustable parallel dampers are connected through a control rod I 4, a shifting arm l5 and a shifting rod I6 to a shifting lever l1.

Although the arrangement may be made for adjusting all of the adjustable damper plates 9 simultaneously from the same lever I! either to open or close the wider space between the boiler tubes they rest over; yet in a large boiler it may be preferable to divide up the control of the dampers so that a group of the side dampers I8 and I 9 may be controlled by separate levers and 2| controlling rods 22 and 23 shifting arms 24 and 25 for the adjustment of control rods 26 and 21 respectively.

Shifting levers I1, 20 and 2| may respectively be held in the desired positions of adjustment by engagement with segmental plates 28, 29 and 30.

Thus it will be seen that damper plates 9 may be shifted to position shown in Figure 12 to open up the wider spaces 3| between the boiler tubes 1 near the middle portion of the group of tubes while the tubes nearer the sides having dampers l8 and. 19 may have the major space between them left closed if desired or open along with the rest as the need may require.

Figure 11 shows the relative position of the pivotally adjustable damper plates 9 having pivotal centers 32 and supported by angle plate l0 resting upon boiler tubes 1 with plate ll not shown. When these damper plates are shown in this position they are shown to be closing major spaces 3| between boiler tubes I; while the relative adjusted position of the damper plates as shown in Figure 12 are shownv to be opening major spaces 3| between tubes'l.

By comparing the relative positions of dampers 9 in Figure 12 and the adjusted position of the same dampers in Figure 11, their merits will be readily observed, when the comparative movement of the hot gases and their distribution are observed.

Walls 33 and 34 as well as terminal plates 35 and baffle plates 36 are operatively connected with side walls 31 and 38, while the damper control mechanism is operatively supported by walls 33 and 34.

In situations where my damper plate devices are not used there is a tendency for the hot gases to tend to move as far from the side walls as possible where the gases can be kept the hotest and that is why there has been so much efficiency lost in heat transfer as the gases move from the combustion chamber up between the forward ends of tubes 1 over bafile plate 39 and down under baflie plate 36 as they move out toward a heat economizer or smoke stack through the space between headers 35 and baflle plate 36.

My damper device is thus adapted to control and carefully distribute the fiow of the hot gases as they move all the way through the heat chamber among tubes 1.

By actual tests on a well known commercial type boiler equipped with my fresh air supply system in combination with my damper control system I have repeatedly increased the efiiciency of the boiler from an old average of moving 65,000 pounds of water per hour through the boiler tubes up to a steady flow of 85,000 pounds of water per hour through the boiler tubes with the same amount of fuel; thus showing an increased efiiciency of from twenty-five to approximately thirty per cent over the situation existing without my invention.

I do not wish to be confined in the spirit and scope of my invention to the particular type of boiler shown nor to specific details of my device as illustrated but I have merely shown certain details of structure of a well known commercial boiler on which some of my tests were made; but some of the essential features of such a boiler are shown in the several figures wherein the details of the boiler construction that are shown are meant to illustrate the adaptability of my device on such a boiler.

In connection with the several fresh air projecting tubes 3 it will be observed that I provide for each a shut-off damper 40 so as to regulate the flow of air through each of tubes 3. as it may be desired to do so. Dampers 40 are controlled by an adjustment lever 4|.

The main air supply pipe I is provided with an air flow damper 42 adapted to control the supply of air that may be projected into the combustion chamber through projecting pipes 3.

The main air supply pipe I may be connected with the air channels adapted to supply fresh air to the burning fuel, or the same pipe may be connected directly with a blower operated by a motor 43 for supplying the air distributing pipes 3 with fresh air for the combustion chamber.

It will be seen that in the commercial type boiler which I have illustrated there is shown a fuel bed conveyer 44 operated from a mechnical source of energy 45 while the fuel hopper 46 delivers the fuel to conveyer 44.

As the fuels have burned cinders and the ashes are dropped off of the end 41 of conveyer 44 down to a cinder compartment through a hole 48 in floor 49.

I beams 50 are adapted to support the brick fire wall 5| about them while headers 35 and 52 support boiler tubes 1 as the tubes extend through baiiie plates 36 and 39.

The arrows on the sections and perspectives in the drawings indicate the movement of the hot gases.

In Figure 4 the arrows for instance indicate the tendency for the hot gases coming from the combustion chamber to move toward the middle of the heat chamber as they flow up between the boiler tubes where my invention is not used but Figure 5 shows how the use of my damper plates in distributing the flow of the hot gases causes them to move out further toward the side walls of the boiler thus heating more boiler tubes.

As the hot gases move out of the boiler they move out from gas outlet 53 into a heat economizer or into a smoke stack while a boiler drum 54 and superheater pipes 55 are supported as shown in the top portion of the boiler.

The openings 56 in the side walls of the fire box are adapted to be used for the observation of the fire while the frame structure 51 under the fire bed is for the support of the fuel conveyer 44 which carries the fuel through the fire box.

Having thus described the nature of my method and means of increasing the efficiency of boilers particularly of the commercial type what I claim is:

1. As an improvement in commercial type water tube boilers having a boiler supporting and fire box defining wall, a controllable mechanical source of air projecting energy, and communicating channels for conducting fresh air from said mechanical projector up under burning fuel in the fire box and an outlet in said boiler supporting wall for the hot products of combustion; an auxiliary fresh air supply system and a control system for a uniform distribution and means for regulating both systems in effective harmony comprising a fresh air supply duct, a plurality of spaced air distributing pipes extending through said fire box wall and control valves in each; said air duct communicatively connected with said air supply channels to the outside of said wall and a damper in said air supply duct for controlling the supply of air to said air distributing pipes, a plurality of channeled dampers each having an integral control lever, a pair of parallel metallic plates pivotally supporting said dampers anddisposed at right angles across the top of said water tubes of the boiler so as to normally register said channel dampers over the space between said water tubes, means for manually adjusting said channel dampers in the optional control of the distribution of the hot products of combustion among the water tubes of the boiler before they leave the outlet therefor.

2. In a boiler of the character described having a boiler wall, baiile plates, a plurality of parallel water tubes supported by a boilerwall and a fire box defined by the boiler Wall and means for providing an auxiliary supply of fresh air forcefully into the center of combustion in the fire box, a control for the distribution of said hot gases from said fire box chamber comprising a pair of supporting plates extended across the top of the water tubes adjacent the rear end thereof, and registering between the rear wall of the boiler and a posterior bafiie plate of the boiler adjacent the rear wall, and a plurality of elongated damper members pivotally supported by said parallel plates in a position where each of said damper members will normally register over the major space between said water tubes; and each provided with an integral control lever, a control rod pivotally connected'with a plurality of said damper control members providing simultaneous adjustment thereof, pivoted lever adjustment means connected with said control rod for the optional control of said dampers for the uniform distribution of the movements of said hot products of combustion among said water tubes of the boiler.

3. In a commercial type heating aparatus having an upright wall defining a fire box and combustion chamber and supporting a boiler and a plurality of parallel spaced water heating tubes a distributing apparatus for controlling the movements of the hot products of combustion among said water tubes comprising a pair of metallic plates disposed in parallel position across said water tubes and a plurality of spaced parallel, elongated damper members normally registering over said space between predetermined adjacent Wa er tubes and pivotally supported by said parallel metallic plates; said damper members each provided with a control arm, control rods and control levers pivotally connected with said arm of each of said dampers for the simultaneous pivotal control thereof, for optionally varying the size of the passage for the hot gases between said adjacent water tubes; thus to control the movement and distribution of the gases among said water tubes.

4. In combination with a boiler having water tubes, a fire box and boiler wall supporting the tubes and an outlet for the hot products of combustion from the fire box; a fresh air supply system and control therefor comprising a fresh air supply duct provided with a plurality of air distributing pipes each having control valves therein and communicatively connected through the fire box wall with the combustion chamber, a mechanical source of air projecting energy, an air distributing channel about the base of' said fire box and communicatively connected through dampers with the fire box; said air supply duct communicatively connected with said air channel and a control damper therefor; said water tubes operatively supported in groups at the ends by headers, baffle plates supported by the boiler wall for directing the movements of the products of combustion and a distributor for regulating the uniform distribution of the hot products of combustion among said water tubes; said distributor comprising a pair of parallel plates disposed at right angles to and across the top of said water tubes adjacent the outlet for said gases, a plurality of spaced damper channels pivotally supported by said parallel plates, parallel to each other and each registering above the space between said groups of water tubes, and a control arm connected by a lever with each of said damper channels and with an adjustment lever for pivotally moving said damper channels in or out of registry with said spaces between said groups of water tubes; whereby said fresh air supply duct and its spaced air distributing pipes may conduct and project predetermined supplies of fresh air into the fire box at predetermined levels to effect a more complete combustion of the gases and whereby the hot products of the more effective combustion may be more extensively and uniformly distributed in their movements among the water tubes as they move toward the outlet therefor.

5. In a heating apparatus having an upright wall defining a fire boX and supporting a boiler and a plurality of parallel spaced water tubes, a forced draft system for conducting fresh air up under burning fuels in the firenbox and an outlet for the products of combustion; an auxiliary fresh air feeding system communicatively connected with said forced draft system and adapted to forcefully project fresh air into said fire box from a plurality of positions about the fire box wall above the level of the fuel bed, for effecting a more complete process of combustion of the gases, and a gas control apparatus operatively connected with said water tubes for controlling the distribution of the products of combustion among said water tubes; said gas control apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced parallel pivotally supported damper members normally registering over the space between said water tubes and pivotally adjusted by a control lever, in and out of registry with said space between said water tubes, for the optional control of the movement of the hot products of combustion emanating from said fir box.

6. In a commercial type boiler having a forced draft system, a fire box and boiler wall and spaced parallel water tubes disposed in the combustion chamber and supported by the wall; an auxiliary fresh air feeding system in co-operative combination with a control system for the distribution of the products of combustion in the combustion chamber as they move among said water tubes; said auxiliary air supply system comprising a fresh air supply duct communicatively connected with said forced draft system and provided with a plurality of spaced air distributing pipes each provided with a control valve and extending through the wall of the fire box above the level of the fuel bed for projecting fresh air into the blaze of the burning fuel for effecting a more complete process of combustion; damper members each forming a part of a cylinder and each provided with an integral control arm; a pair of parallel spaced supporting plates disposed across said spaced parallel water tubes and pivotally supporting said damper members respectively over the space between predetermined adjacent water tubes; a control rod and adjustment lever connected with a predetermined number of said damper control levers for the simultaneous pivotal adjustment of said dampers, for opening and closing said space between said water tubes; said supporting plates and dampers adapted to register over the area provided in one of the circuitous passages defined by said wall and for controlling the movement of the hot products of combustion among said Water tubes.

AUGUSTUS MAYER. 

